Menu

Polk Contraflow: A Green Bikeway to City Hall

By Chema Hernández Gil on April 28, 2014

Have you seen it? The long-awaited Polk Street contraflow bikeway is on the ground and almost ready for riding. Complete with curb protection (with succulents!), this new bikeway is a showcase of what it means to connect the city with crosstown, protected bikeways.

Though only a few blocks, this bikeway fills in a crucial gap between the bustling bikeways of Market Street and Polk Street, providing a safe route for the thousands who commute between the two bikeways every day. In addition to making it safer for people biking, this new bikeway reduces chaos on the street, creating more predictability for all users.

Before this bikeway was built, people on bike would have to go a harrowing route of Van Ness Avenue or Larkin Street. Now, there’s a safe, smooth route for people ages 8-to-80. This bikeway is the direct result of years of advocacy by the SF Bicycle Coalition. Our members and staff have worked tirelessly to win protected bikeways on this stretch of Polk Street and we continue our push for protected bikeways the full length of Polk Street, from City Hall to Fisherman’s Wharf. Join today and keep up the Polk Street bikeway momentum.

There will be a ribbon-cutting for the Polk contraflow bikeway on Friday, May 2 at 11am at the corner of Polk and Market Streets. The bikeway will be ready for riding on Friday afternoon.